Combined illumination device and fire alarm



Dec. 1, 1959 J. D. KOUNDAKJIAN 2,915,742

COMBINED ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND FIRE ALARM Filed May 1. 1957 INVENTOR. JAMES D. KOUNDAKJ IAN TORNEY COMBINED ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND FIRE ALARM James D. Koundakjian, Cambridge, Mass. Application May 1, 1957, Serial No. 656,292

4 Claims. (Cl. 340227) This invention relates to fire alarm devices and more particularly to one to be used in combination with an illuminating device.

A primary object of my invention is to provide a selfcontained, automatic, audible fire alarm cartridge which may be readily substituted for wiring of a conventional illuminating lamp having a body of suflicient size and contour to enclose such a cartridge.

Another object of the invention is to provide, when assembled, a novel combination of an illuminating device with concealed fire alarm means, which device may be positioned in its normal location in keeping with the decor of the area to be protected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an autw matic operating and automatic self restoring fire alarm unit which may be fully concealed.

This invention has certain advantages over previously described devices. There are no chemicals, gas tanks, fusible plugs, or pellets required for its operation and no elements to be replaced after each operation. It is inexpensive and easy to install. It is of particular value in hotels or large buildings where table and floor lamps are usually located in each room and where local fire alarm detector means are very important. Ready means for testing purposes are always available. No special wiring is required, the lamp being connected in the usual manner.

Further objects, advantages, and a fuller understanding of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description illustrative of the invention and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front view in perspective of a lamp showing the position of my novel fire alarm cartridge.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the cartridge with part of its perforated wall broken away to show one position of the components with associated wiring.

Fig. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of the components shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an open, heat-responsive self-restoring switch before operation.

Fig. 5 is a switch after operation.

The device consists of a conventional electric illuminating lamp with an automatic fire detecting and audible alarm unit concealed within the body of the lamp. This unit is in the form of a cartridge with a pair of lead-in wires and a pair of leadout wires which may be readily substituted for the usual central stem and wiring of the lamp.

Referring to the drawings, the device therein shown, as illustrative of one embodiment of my invention comprises an ornamental lamp having a conventional lighting element 11, a suitable shade 12, and a light switch 13. The lamp 10 has an exterior body 14 suitable for interiorly enclosing an automatic fire detecting and alarm unit having a central upper hollow post 15, a central lower hollow post 18, said posts being perpendicularly aligned and connected together by a rigid hollow multiperforated cartridge enclosure 30. The lamp 10 has a United States Patent 0 ice positioning fixture cap 16. The body 14 has an open bottom 17 spaced from lamp base 19. The lamp and enclosed alarm unit are connected to a current supply 20. The cartridge 30 has a top 31, a bottom 32, and multiperforated sides 33. The upper post 15 extends upwardly from an orifice in the top 31 while the lower post depends downwardly from an orifice in the bottom 32. The cartridge 30 encloses and supports on its interior surface a Wiring strip 34 with wiring terminals 35,

36, and 37, an exposed test switch 38, a step down transformer 39, audible signalling means 40 wired to the low voltage side of said transformer, and an exposed heat responsive switch 50, having a metallic snap heat responsive self-restoring diaphragm 51 operating a two point switch 52 making contact between terminal posts 53 and 54.

The terminal 35 connects together leads 107, 108, and 109; terminal 36 connects together leads 100, 101, 102, and 103; terminal 37 connects together leads 104, 105, and 106; lead connects terminal 36 to one side of the 110 v. supply; lead 101 connects terminal 36 to one side of switch 38; lead 102 connects terminal 36 to one side of switch 50; lead 103 connects terminal 36 to one side of lighting element 11; lead 104 connects terminal 37 to other side of switch 38; lead 105 connects terminal 37 to one side of the high voltage side of transformer 39; lead 106 connects terminal 37 to other side of switch 50; lead 107 connects terminal 35 to other side of the v. supply; lead 10% connects terminal 35 to the other side of the high voltage side of transformer 39; and lead 109 connects terminal 35 to switch 13. The switch 38 is connected in parallel with switch 50, this network being in series with the high voltage side of transformer 39 and connected across the 110 volt supply.

In operation, the activation of manual switch 13 energizes lighting element 11 for conventional illumination purposes. The operation of the protruding manual test switch 38 throws 110 volts across the high voltage side of transformer 39 operating audible signal 49 connected across the low voltage side. This allows for ready testing as to the operative condition of the audible signal.

A rise in temperature above the critical operating tem-- perature of the switch used, causes the metallic, selfrestoring diaphragm 51 of heat responsive automatic, switch 50 to operate actuating the audible alarm signal, which continues to emit a signal until the lamp is disconnected from the current supply or the temperature falls below the critical temperature of the switch used, which, in the embodiment shown, is approximately F. The self-restoring diaphragm 51 is exteriorly positioned so that it is always exposed to contact with the surrounding atmosphere. As shown in this embodiment, it protrudes through the bottom 32 of the cartridge 30 which is covered by the lamp body 14 having an open bottom 17 spaced from lamp base 19, thus permitting direct access between diaphragm 51 and the surrounding arr.

The preferred cartridge described above is rigid and perforated. However, less preferably, it may be any rigid open cartridge such as a cage cartridge, where rigid vertical bars connect the top and bottom and are used for mounting of the strip, transformer and signalling device. It is preferable that the opening 17 in the lamp body be sufiiciently large to allow the alarm sound to come out. However, less preferably, an orifice may be made in the side of the body for sound emission.

While the preferred embodiment of my invention has been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, material, proportions, and arrangements of parts, and in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same, heretofore described and defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic fire detector and alarm unit adapted to be installed vertically within a lamp having a suitable body portion, comprising a rigid, hollow, open cartridge, a central upper hollow post, a central lower hollow post, an audible electrical signalling device, a wiring strip provided with suitable wiring terminals, a manually operated test switch, and a self-restoring heat responsive alarm switch; said upper and lower posts being rigidly connected together in perpendicular alignment by said cartridge, said upper post extending upward from an orifice in the top of said cartridge, said lower post depending downwards from a correspondingly positioned orifice in the base of said cartridge; said wiring strip, signalling device, and heat responsive alarm switch being enclosed within said cartridge and mounted on the interior walls of said cartridge, said lamp body portion enclosing said alarm unit and having an exterior opening adjacent said signalling device, said heat responsive switch and said test switch.

2. Claim 1, wherein said audible signalling device corn prises a step-down electrical transformer and low-voltage audible signal means.

3. Claim 1, wherein the open cartridge is of perforated construction.

4. The combination of an electric lamp of the character described having an exterior body, a base for said body spaced therefrom, a standard lighting element and an associated light switch, and an automatic fire detector and alarm unit positioned within said body; said unit comprising a rigid, hollow, perforated cartridge, a central upper hollow post and a corresponding central lower hollow post; said upper and lower posts being rigidly connected together in perpendicular alignment by said perforated cartridge; said upper post extending upward from an orifice in the top of said cartridge; said lower post depending dovmwards from a correspondingly positioned orifice in the base of said cartridge; said cartridge enclosing and supporting on its interior surface a step down electrical transformer, an audible signalling device connected to the low voltage Winding of said transformer, a wiring strip provided with suitable wiring terminals, a manually operated test switch and a self restoring heat responsive alarm switch; said lower post containing leadin wires; said upper post containing line wires to said lighting element and supporting said lighting element and associated light switch; said terminals on said wiring strip providing for the termination of said lead-in Wires, the termination of said line wires, the connection of said test switch in parallel with said heat responsive switch and the connection of said switches in series with the high voltage winding of said transformer across said lead-in wires; said exterior body having openings adjacent to said test switch and said heat responsive switch, said wired and equipped cartridge and posts being adapted to be installed in substitution for a conventional interior wiring post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,153,507 McIntosh Sept. 14, 1915 1,929,018 Doane Oct. 3, 1933 2,100,908 Merdan Nov. 30, 1937 2,107,525 Derby Feb. 8, 1938 2,450,302 Rowe Sept. 28, 1948 2,456,038 Young Dec. 14, 1948 

